


At the End of Everything

by TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-01-22 01:50:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12470800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers/pseuds/TheDoctorAndRiversArmyOfPeppers
Summary: Was this how the evil people she spent her life fighting felt when they went about their dastardly plans? She didn't care, the adrenaline was pumping through her veins, and her murderous grin was frightening.





	At the End of Everything

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 54th Anniversary, Doctor Who!

It was somewhen she'd always wanted to go - the end of everything.

River Song walked with purpose across the surface of Malcassairo. It was very gloomy, the sky was devoid of stars, and the air was decidedly chilly.

River crossed the crumbling terrain using her sonic screwdriver as a torch. The land was even darker now the humans were leaving.

River saw their rocket launch. It was huge, one of the biggest ships she'd ever seen. She watched as it's clumsy bulk vanished up into the black sky on a mission to a place that was no better than the one they had left behind.

River continued on her journey, sparing little thought to the fact that the man who was not yet her husband, was trapped in the rocket silo with the Futurekind. She managed to stifle the impulse to run to him. She knew how this ended, and he didn't need her this time.

River smiled when she reached her destination. As an archaeologist, it had been difficult to resist a visit to the Malmooth's Conglomeration. She needed to have a look around for the sake of her curiosity.

River descended the steep path to the settlement. It would have been an amazing, imposing sight if it were still in it's former glory. However, it was still somewhat jaw dropping in it's current, dilapidated state.

She entered the city, traversing it's paths and roads, treading across the bridges without a care that they could crumble beneath her weight and pull her into the abyss with any step.

All the time she was taking photographs and writing notes in a little notebook. This place had a right to be preserved, if not by time then at least by research.

 

 

It took River a few hours to complete her examination of the site, and was pleased with how it went. She'd learnt a great deal, and had taken some stunning photographs.

Just as she started inputting the coordinates for Darillium, River saw a ship fly above her head. It landed about a mile away up the quarry-like cliffs.

She saw the lights of flaming torches moving from the horizon, heading towards the spacecraft. The Futurekind were coming.

River had already had to defend herself against several attacks from the primitive creatures during the last few hours, so knew that whoever had just arrived was in trouble. She had to help them.

Without a second thought, River ran towards the landing site as fast as she could.

 

 

The Futurekind huddled around the recently landed spacecraft.

River was crouching behind a large, grey boulder, watching them silently.

The space shuttle had landed on a flat stretch of land, right at the top of the cliff face. The view over the edge was breathtaking, but no-one had time to admire it.

The Futurekind were trying to brake into the ship, bashing their hands and weapons against the doors, and fruitlessly tugging at the joins from shoddy repairs in the outer hull. It was pointless to the point of stupidity, but River had to admire their determination.

She was halfway through concocting a plan when the rockets at the back of the ship emitted an impressive flame without warning. It startled River slightly, but the Futurekind were scared stiff. Some of them were caught up in the flames and were chard beyond recognition. Their charcoal bodies shattered when they hit the ground, and the flames died with them.

The survivors ran for the hills and didn't look back. River couldn't blame them.

Once they were well away, she stepped out from the safety of the boulder, and took a moment to admire the impressive ship. It was large for a shuttle, and the design was expert. It was gold-coloured, intricate, and ancient. She felt she should recognise it, but she didn't. But there was still something about it...

River brushed the grey sand from her black clothes, and strode across to the ship with an air of purpose.

She halted when she heard the faint screech of ancient gears coming from within the vessel, like unoiled bicycle parts rubbing together. The entrance hatch juddered open, shaking the whole exterior of the very old ship.

A man stepped out of the shuttle, and onto the barren soil of Malcassairo. He seemed to be a very old man, his face was covered in lines and his hair was either white or missing altogether. He wore the robes of a high ranking Time Lord, and River wandered which one he was.

And then realisation hit her like a cricket bat to the head.

A sick feeling grew in her stomach, her gut tied in knots. Her hands closed into fists and her whole body assumed a stiff fighting stance. Hatred swamped her mind as she hurried the few paces forwards before the Time Lord spotted her. It took everything in her to not beat him to death there and then.

"Rassilon?" River asked coldly.

"That is indeed my name. Who are you?" Rassilon sneered.

"My name is Professor River Song, and I am very cross with you," tears burnt at the edges of her eyes before rolling down her cheeks.

"Why? I have done nothing to you."

"Nothing?" River repeated with the ghost of an empty laugh.

It was then that her self control snapped.

She punched him hard on the nose, feeling the bone crack from the force. Blood smudged her fingers, and more of it ran down his face as she pulled her fist back. Anger still burnt brightly in her veins.

She hit him again and again, then lunged for him, knocking him to the ground. He tried to fight back, seeming remarkably strong for his apparent age. She could feel the bruises already forming from his punches. He threw kicks at her, but they were inconsequential.

River had her hands around his throat before he could blink. Rassilon was tugging at them to try to make room to breathe, and his legs and feet were still trying and failing to kick her off of him.

It felt so good to have that man's life in her hands, to be slowly squeezing his neck until he suffocated, to have him at her mercy. The fear in his eyes only made the revenge taste sweeter on her tongue. He deserved every second of terror she could give him.

Was this how the evil people she spent her life fighting felt when they went about their dastardly plans? She didn't care, the adrenalin was pumping through her veins, and her murderous grin was frightening. She was enjoying herself far to much to wonder how like _them_ she could be.

Before her prey could succumb to unconsciousness, a couple of large, rusty robots exited the ship. Their long, thin, flimsy, arms extended out menacingly as they chugged slowly towards their intended victim. The arms ended in two semi-circular fingers which wrapped themselves around the struggling River's arms. She heard a click as they locked into place.

The robots pulled River off of Rassilon with more force than was really necessary. He gasped and spluttered for air as he struggled to stand. River tried to brake free, but it was to no avail, and the robots continued to drag her away.

Once the robots decided they had moved to a safe enough distance, they stopped rolling backwards. But they still had a firm grip on River's arms. She continued to struggle against them, but wasn't having much luck.

Rassilon held a handkerchief to his bleeding nose with one hand as he brushed himself down with the other. He glared scathingly at River, like he wanted to kill her. She gave up struggling to glare back.

"I want to know who you are!" Rassilon demanded.

"I've told you," she spat back.

"That doesn't explain why you should attack me. If you don't give me the information there is nothing stopping me from killing you right here and now, so I suggest you start talking. Why would you try to murder me?"

"Oh, you've got a nerve. I should think every creature in this universe would want rid of you if they knew who you were."

"Why? What could I have possibly done to anyone out here, this far beyond my own time and place? So tell me _girl,_ who are you, and why did you attack me? What on Gallifrey is _going on here?!_ "

"Do you know why the Doctor exiled you?" River concentrated on her breathing to remain calm, tone measured and controlled.

"You know of the Doctor?" he asked through his handkerchief, intrigued.

"Answer my question."

"Because he despised me and wanted Gallifrey for himself, any fool can see that," he spat, with more than a little resentment.

"If you know anything about the Doctor, then you know that theory is ridiculous. He banished you because he was being _kind."_

"How could this be kind?" Rassilon asked, gesturing around him. "I am alone and without protection. I shall never see my home again!"

"And what exactly did you do to the Doctor!?" River lost her temper again. "Four and a half billion years of _torture!_ He can remember it all, you know! Every day of it! Every time that creature killed him! Every time he dragged himself up that bloody tower, _dying!_ You complain about what he did to you, compare it to what you did to him! Why don't you think about that!?"

"We had to know about the..."

"The Hybrid! Yes, I know! Bit of an own goal that, wasn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Rassilon frowned.

"The Hybrid has been and gone, and was a direct result of your trying to prevent it! And Gallifrey is no worse off than she was! But it was your fault the Hybrid happened at all!"

"So it was all..."

"All for nothing, yes," River nodded stiffly. "I said I was cross. There has never been a bigger understatement. I am incandescent with rage."

"But it wasn't _my_ fault the Doctor went through all that! If he told us what he knew, he could've walked out of there! It is unfair to blame _me_ for his stubbornness!" Rassilon retaliated, face growing red with anger.

"You had four and a half billion _years_ to change your mind! When you saw that he wasn't going to tell you, you could've let him go! After just one million years, you can't still have thought he was going to crack!"

"But why didn't he just tell us!?"

"Why didn't you just ask! If there is one thing the Doctor doesn't react well to, it's being threatened! And killing his friend didn't put him in a good mood either!" hot tears were cascading down River's face by this point, but she ignored them.

"That was her own fault!"

"But you were responsible! That whole scenario was devised by you!"

"It was her own stupidity that got her killed, not me," he dismissed her argument with a wave of his blooded hand.

"Clara was _not_ stupid!" River shouted. "She was reckless! That's what got her killed! But she and the Doctor were only there because of you! You were responsible for it all! If you hadn't insisted on that stupid game, none of that would've happened! Clara's blood stains your hands just as much as it does her own!"

"Enough!" Rassilon exclaimed. "I don't have to listen to you! I don't care what you think! I did what I thought was right..."

"Ha!" River mock-laughed. "How could you possibly have thought that was _right!?"_

"How could _you_ possibly think this is the Doctor being kind!? He has condemned me to wonder throughout the universe for the rest of my days."

"That's his idea of heaven."

"Well, it isn't mine!"

"Planets have burnt, civilisations have crumbled, and Gods have been toppled. All by him. I have seen armies run from nothing but the sound of his name. Think on what you put him through. He was letting you run from him while he still had the presence of mind to be kind! He was _letting you go!_ "

"How do you know so much? The Doctor would not talk to me, why would he do so to you?" Rassilon asked. "Who are you?"

"I am the Doctor's _wife,"_ River was pleased with the tyrant's shocked reaction to that little revelation. "I suggest you run before it's too late. My husband is against taking lives, but I assure you, _I am not!_ "

Rassilon looked her up and down, suddenly frightened. The expression was quite comical on him.

He noticed her hand flexing by her gun handle and realised that, despite her restraints, she might just be able to reach it. The thin arms of the robots were a bit flimsy, he couldn't get the proper replacement parts for them.

He decided retreating would be a good idea.

He gestured for the robots to let River go and to follow him into the ship, before hurrying for the airlock. He scrambled inside, dripping blood from his still bleeding nose as he went. The airlock door screeched closed behind him.

Once Rassilon was out of sight, the robots threw River to the ground as if she were an old toy they'd done playing with, and chugged slowly after their master. Their cylindrical heads swiveled erratically, giving a sense of apparent haste, but travelling no faster than normal.

River picked herself up off the ground, frowning at the cut she got on her palm from the rocks when the robots had thrown her. Upon inspecting her painful wrist, she discovered she'd sprained herself, too. She sighed heavily.

River shook her head to get rid of the small stones that had found their way into her curls and were irritating her, then looked for a bandage in one of her belt pouches.

River heard the loud rumble of the ship's engines starting up, so she fled to the cluster of boulders about a hundred yards across the cliff top. Once she'd got to safety, she cleaned up her wound as best she could and wrapped her hand in the already bloody bandage.

She heard the rockets at the back of the shuttle flare up again as the ship prepared to take off. She quickly turned her head up and saw it fly majestically up into the endless night. She kept her eyes on it, and only looked away when the flames from the rockets were nothing but a white dot.

The only white dot in the sky.

 

 

River sat on a rock and considered what had happened just then. She was emotionally exhausted, all her energy sapped. She felt like a numb husk. Her face was as blank and unreadable as her mind, all thoughts, all memories blurred and distant.

She didn't want the Doctor to see her like that, emotionless and practically covered in blood. She couldn't deal with all the questions.

The Futurekind had come back to see what had become of the spaceship. They only found River, alone, with a dead biological battery, and smelling like food. They decided it was the safest opportunity anyone would ever have of killing _the_ Professor River Song, and they would be fools to miss it.

River sensed them when they made their first move.

She was quick. River entered the coordinates for home into her vortex manipulator with precision, she didn't feel like having another fight that day. And with a flair of blue light, she was gone.

The Futurekind watched River leave their planet, and wandered when they'd next eat.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


End file.
